...They unearthed a life-sized mask made of solid gold, positioned next to a dismembered and chopped-up skeleton. Quite possibly the portrait of a Thracian king, Teres I (475-445 BC) it proved to be just the first item in a vast haul of treasure. Other items included a gold ring engraved with the figure of an athlete, a near-complete set of armour, as well as bronze arrowheads, spearheads, swords, breastplates and 130 pieces of magnificent jewellery.
The discovery was one of the most sensational finds of the last half-century.
The mask, Kitov felt, was more remarkable even than that of Agamemnon: "The Mask of Agamemnon was made of gold foil and weighs only 60 grams, while this mask weighs 690 grams and is of solid gold."
It is thought that it may have been used in a ritual described in ancient Greek texts: the Thracian ruler would drink wine from a gold mask at public occasions and then place it over his face.